Long-running event to welcome 450 bicycle riders to conquer the legendary “Rock Pile”
Mount Washington, NH (Feb. 23, 2022) – Bicycle riders across the globe looking for this summer’s mountain conquest need not look any further than the 49th annual Mt. Washington Auto Road Bicycle Hillclimb (MWARBH), held on Saturday, Aug. 20, 2022. Online registration for the iconic event begins Tuesday, March 1, 2022 at 9 am EST.
Consistently topping lists of the most difficult hillclimbs in the U.S., this iconic 7.6-mile, one-way uphill trip to the summit of Mt. Washington attracts riders from across the US, Canada and as far as New Zealand. Nicknamed “the Rock Pile,” Mt. Washington is the highest peak in the Northeast at 6,288 feet and is said to be “home of the world’s worst weather.”
The MWARBH, presented by Tin Mountain Conservation Center, is the organization’s largest fundraising event. All proceeds from the Hillclimb help provide environmental education programs to thousands of students grades K-12, year-round community-wide nature programs and naturalist-led field trips, conservation research and summer camps.
“We’re looking forward to having a sold-out race,” said Erin Holmes, race director. “We’re really hoping that more riders will participate in the fundraising aspects of this year’s event. Riders can opt to pay the full $350 registration fee or register for $150 and raise the rest. It’s our hope that riders will go beyond the minimum needed for registration and help raise money to support Tin Mountain. We’re offering prizes and raffles at different levels as incentives to raise funds.”
The MWARBH will take place on one of two days annually where bicycles are allowed on the Mt. Washington Auto Road. The Hillclimb features an average grade of 12%, with extended sections at 18% and culminates just before the end of the ride at a heart-pounding, leg-cramping 22%. The combination of grade and weather require all riders to travel back down in a vehicle. The event ends with an awards ceremony, lunch and vendor fair in the field at the base station.
To register, visit https://www.bikereg.com/mwarbh. For more information on the MWARBH, visit mwarbh.org. Click here for the media gallery (credit: Joe Viger).
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About Tin Mountain Conservation Center
Since 1980, Tin Mountain programs have reached thousands of students in grades K–12 who experience the natural world during in-school, after-school and homeschool environmental education programs. Many more experience nature at a variety of summer camps. Year-round community nature programs and naturalist-led field trips provide outdoor recreation and environmental programs to individuals and families, both residents of and visitors to New Hampshire’s Mt. Washington Valley. Tin Mountain also conducts a variety of conservation research and citizen science projects. For more information, visit http://www.tinmountain.org/
About Mt. Washington and the Auto Road
Begun in 1854 and first opened to the public in 1861, the Auto Road was known as America’s first man-made attraction and remains the oldest, continuously operated man-made attraction in the US. Nicknamed the “Rockpile”, Mt. Washington tops out at 6,288 feet, making it the highest mountain in the northeast. Mt. Washington is known for its often fierce and rather unpredictable weather, including one of the highest ground wind speed ever recorded—a 231 miles per hour gust in April 1934. For more information, visit https://mt-washington.com/
